Cinepals - ROAD HOUSE 2024 Reaction & Discussion!

Episode Date: March 24, 2024

After watching the original 1989 cult classic Road House starring Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott, Jaby and Achara watch the updated 2024 Road House starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home, Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners), Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X) and Conor McGregor (of UFC fame). The movie is directed by Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, Mr & Mrs Smith, Fair Game, The Bourne Identity, Swingers). Watch the full length reaction to the movie on our Patreon https://www.Patreon.com/JabyKoay or join us for the cutdown reaction on YouTube https://www.YouTube.com/@CinePals SOCIAL MEDIA ~CinePals~ Tik Tok, Twitter & Instagram: @TheCinePals https://www.YouTube.com/@CinePals ~Jaby Koay~ Twitter & Instagram: @JabyKoay ~Achara Kirk~ Twitter & Instagram: @AcharaKirk

We just got done watching Patrick Swayze's Roadhouse, and now we're going to watch Jake Gyllenhaal's Roadhouse. Here we go. I think both versions have something to offer. That's cool. Yeah. Because, I mean, it seemed like the consensus was that it doesn't hold up to the original or it's not better than the original. At least that's what I felt like I was hearing.

But I'm watching this, I'm like, I feel like in some ways it actually did better than the original. In other ways, the original was certainly better. In terms of just, like, characters that you immediately fell in love with, I feel like they got that better in the original, you know, with Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott and all that. Yeah. Like, you immediately were like, just, you know, you were with these people. The moment Sam Elliott shows up, like, you're just immediately rooting for him, right? I do kind of miss that aspect of the brotherly camaraderie and stuff like that that that they had

together. Obviously, you know, this film did its own thing, which is cool, respect that. I thought that this was actually a fun take on that 80s classic. I mean, it's definitely an update for current times. So yesterday I got sent a reel from one of our friends. I forget who this woman was, but I think she works in the industry, and she was saying a lot of the time people are writing scripts now or making movies, especially for platforms, streaming platforms, second screenable,

which means that most people who are watching movies like this are scrolling, looking at their phone on the same time. It has to play out where everything is really obvious and where they tell you what's going on multiple times throughout the movie so that if you're not fully paying attention and you're on another device, you can still understand the story and what's going on. And I definitely felt it in this movie because everything was like on the nose. Everything was like explained right away.

That makes me really sad. I wish you had never told me that. That makes me sad. Today, that's how you have to do movies. because of how people's viewing habits have changed. I think that they definitely had this in mind. A lot of the exposition was like very, very basic. Yeah, I get it.

Yeah. I understand. That's horrible. But let's put that little detail aside. They mentioned the tree like eight times at the beginning of the movie. I get it. There's a tree. The thing that I noticed the most being the kind of person I am, it's the camera work

and the fight scenes and stuff like that. And there were instances where it was like awesome and glorious. And then there were other instances where it was like drawing attention to itself. in a way that bothered me. And sometimes it just felt like there was like a CGI punch happening or something or maybe they were stabilizing it. It was a lot of swish pans

because they were trying to give you the sense of it being a long take and like you being in the fight. Like I said, there were parts where I'm like, well, this is kind of cool and it feels like you're really part of the brawl. And other times where it's like, it feels like you're trying to do something

and I'm reminded I'm watching a movie. Right. As far as the character goes with Jake Gyllenhaal, I actually thought that he was pretty cool. It wasn't like a straight. Patrick Swayze, right? No. He was another character

who had his own dark history that he was, you know, combating inside. They had a different approach with the romance because in the original Patrick Swayze's approaching her. Here he's like,

I like you, but I can't. And she's like, no, no, we're doing this. She was cool. I don't buy him for a second leaving. She is way too fine. Yeah. That ending, I don't believe you.

We'll make it work, babe. We'll find a way. Acting was cool, I guess. I mean, for the moment. I mean, Conor McGregor had his own style of acting, whatever you want to call that? I know. He was just playing himself. And like we said, while we're watching it, it worked because, I mean, as much of a caricature and as over the top as he was, it worked for that character because he's just absolutely crazy.

Yeah. And so it's like, okay, he doesn't have to feel like a real grounded person. This guy's a cartoon. And he's like fully embracing that. And so he was just fun and wild. He's like the Tasmanian devil personified or something like that, you know. Mo. Great.

Great. Yeah. We love Mo. Yeah. He was awesome. Mo, like, was pitch perfect. He brought a lot of really great comedic moments. Like, I really liked him.

He was just such a fun, fresh character who's like, he seems way too nice to be part of this motorcycle gang. Daniela Melchior. Oh, man. That's all I got to say about that. Yeah, gorgeous. I'm still a tad surprise. Nothing came up with Jessica Williams' character, Frankie. It just felt like there was something there.

Yeah, it felt like something was there. It was definitely one of those things where they were like, oh, we need more women in the stories. So let's just swap out some of these characters that don't necessarily have to be men. I felt like they added a lot of women. They did. They added a lot. They took out all the nudity from the original, which I guess is fine. We don't necessarily need that to tell a good story.

Post Malone, I thought, was. that was a choice i i don't really understand it other than like the notoriety he has yeah exactly it's like yay it's post malone yeah he from music it was a cool intro because i remember you know with the other film you you kind of were like i don't understand why we didn't get an opening with patrick swayie showing his his skills right away but that's what you were talking about like it's a different style of storytelling yeah today we're so used to right off the bat if it's an action movie yeah we know it's action film because it hits you with action right away. And I thought that they did a pretty nice job of setting it up in a way that kind of paid homage

to the original because he walked, Jake Gyllenhaal didn't actually do anything for a while. Yeah. You know, he walks in and then Post-Malone freaks out and runs. He goes out to the parking lot and the guy stabs him and, you know, the guy runs because Jake Gyllenhaal just, you know, handles the situation without any violence on his part. Yeah. It was actually really cool how they did that. Overall, I enjoyed this movie.

I thought it was fun. The fights at the end went on a little long. I felt like the third act in general was like, yo, this is kind of overstaying it's welcome. Yeah. But my overall experience, I felt like was positive. It's a fun action movie. Like, you don't really need too many brain cells to enjoy it.

And like, as far as the action goes, I think because today, you know, we've come a really long way in terms of stunts and how to shoot action. It was really entertaining and thrilling, you know, like you really felt scared. with all of the hits and the kicks and the punches and all of that. So, yeah, they did a good job with that. So Doug Lehman is the director.

Doug Lehman did Edge of Tomorrow. He's doing the sequel to Edge of Tomorrow. He did Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Yeah. Knowing his previous work, it makes sense of some of the camera work that we saw in here. He did some creative, interesting camera work. He had a vision in mind. And so I respect him going for his vision.

I don't always agree with the moves he made. I thought that sometimes it just kind of like was too much. Yeah, sometimes it worked and sometimes it was like, eh, that wasn't. But what I appreciated about it was, I don't know how much influence Amazon had on this or any of the execs. But all too often we hear stories about how the studio gets involved and the studio notes get involved and it ruins the director's vision. And I feel like one of the special things that we do tend to get with the streaming platforms is the directors get to have their vision. And so this really felt like this was his vision, unfettered, like no restraints. He got to do what he wanted to do.

And so that, I think, is cool, even though I don't love it. There's that positive angle to the whole thing. Well, yeah, I mean, definitely with the camera movements and stuff, sometimes it reminded me of, you know, some of the videos that you see on Instagram and stuff where they're constantly, like, moving around. Yeah, I don't love that. That's cool and all, but I feel like when you use it too much, it can be a little bit tiring. No, it is the trend to, like, just have these long things on Insta or TikTok or whatever. And I don't love it because I don't feel involved. which is weird, given that it's uncut.

There's this weird disconnect that happens, which might be born out of just being raised on films that don't typically do that. One of the only instances I saw them do that where I'm like, this works really well, and I feel like I'm part of it was in Creed. You know, they had that long take in Creed's first fight, and I'm like, yo, this is crazy

because I feel like I'm in the ring with them and stuff. Yeah. It's not too often, like you have an uncut thing. Or Daredevil Season 1, episode 2. It's like, it's a long take, and I feel like I'm part of whatever's happening right now. now it's hard to pull that off here here they they did something similar but they decided to really get intimate where the camera's like really in the throes of the fight and like i said

multiple times whoa cool like it's but then other times no no just no too much make it stop too much too much too much too much whip panning like why are you whip panning so much you guys thanks so much for hanging out hopefully enjoy that i'm jabby kui this is achara cook peace out